- MS describes the WXP ICF as "...An IPv6 firewall...to protect the end-user's machine from unsolicited IPv6 traffic..." (what a revelation - at least, they have defined the purpose of a firewall correctly).
- Although the need for this is not immediately evident, there -are- capabilities for IPv6 inherent in the Windows Server 2003, it -is- coming. "...IPv6 is designed to solve many of the problems of the current version of IP (known as IPv4) with regard to address depletion, security, autoconfiguration, extensibility, and more..." (see: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/ipv6/default.mspx).

- So, I have a few unanswered questions:
1. Besides the WXP firewall mentioned above, are there any personal firewalls available that support IPv6 that I can get installed now, so I won't be in "panic/scramble" mode once this becomes a necessity?
2. Is there a "drop-dead" date for the current IP in use around the Web (IPv4) or will both be in use for quite sometime?

One thing to keep in mind when looing at and/or working with IP V6:
not all broadband routers will work what the new IP V6 release.

If you are using a broadband router for Internet access, you would be wise to contact your router vendor to be sure you are running the latest firmware for your router & to verify that your router has been tested by someone other that you before you take the plunge....